Bricks, paving tones, slabs and other slab-like elements are typically employed, to provide a ground cover for walks, patios and other purposes. Generally, such slab or slab-type elements are placed in position on prepared ground, and then secured together using intervening grouting material, both as a spacer and as an adhesive material between the slab elements.
Various interlocking slab elements, for covering any flat surface, such as the ground, and employing a plurality of the slab elements, to provide various surface designs and configurations, have been suggested. Generally, these slab elements are combined together in an interlocking manner, with a grout material as a bonding, filling and spacing agent therebetween. For example, one type of an interlocking slab element is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,544,305, issued Oct. 1, 1985, wherein the interlocking slab element has a main hexagonal section and a rectangular tail section integral therewith. Other slab elements proposed in the past include slab elements of stone pavements, having convex sections at one end and concave sections at the other end, such as, for example, as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 244,595, issued Jul. 19, 1881, and more particularly for example, French Patent 1,314,586.
Slab elements or pavement units of different shapes traditionally have been used throughout history for all types of traffic-bearing surfaces, such as paths, roads, patios, driveways, borders and ramps. Usually and recently, these paving elements or pavers have been made of concrete; that is, a hard, durable and molded material. However, other materials may be used, but not be limited to, including actual stone, wood, clay, plastic or other organic and man-made materials suitable for slab elements. Such slab elements permit the formation of traditional straight or linear patterns.
It is desirable to provide for a new and unique, interlocking, surface slab element or paver for covering the ground and the like, which permits curvilinear and circular patterns with minimum joints therein, and wherein the overall designs utilize a plurality of the slab-like elements, varying only in length.